Conversations With the Avatar
by MadLori
Summary: Series of short one-shots, each featuring a different character having a conversation with the Avatar.
1. Conversation 1: Toph

_For those of you who read my story "A Day in the Life," I am working on another Day, but I won't post any of it until it's finished. Until then, I thought I'd just post these as they're written since each section will only be tangentially conncted to the others. So don't expect a super regular posting schedule. These Conversations take place in the same universe as "A Day in the Life."_

_This story is labeled as Aang & Katara, even though only one of the Conversations will be between those two characters, but since it's a Kataang-centric universe I'm writing in, I thought that'd be prudent._

* * *

It was weeks after Toph decided she was finally going to ask Aang the question before she had a chance to actually do it. She had to wait until they were alone in the house, which hardly ever happened. Finally, though, there came a day when Hakoda was visiting and he, Katara and Sokka went out for some family time while Suki was at the training academy.

_Alone at last._

She was uncharacteristically nervous. She'd wanted to ask him for months and months but felt oddly reticent about it. She didn't fear his reaction. He'd probably just laugh a little and answer her cheerfully. What she feared was letting him see that she wanted to know something about him. That she was interested, that she cared at all.

_He knows you care._

And she did. She loved Aang like a brother. These people were family to her, more so than her blood family. But she'd never been comfortable with people _knowing_ that she cared. That was a one-way ticket to getting your heart stomped on. The day she knew she was in trouble was the day she realized that she'd come to care enough that she was willing to risk the stomping.

_Just go find him and get it over with._

She knew where he was. She could feel the vibrations from the garden. He was firebending. It was the bending discipline he was the least comfortable with, so he'd been hitting it hard lately. Airbending was like breathing to him, and waterbending nearly as natural. It was a good thing he didn't have to practice waterbending that much anymore, because he and Katara had become totally incapable of training together. At some point, waterbending had become foreplay for them, and Toph couldn't remember the last time they'd actually finished a practice session before they were all over each other. His earthbending was well beyond master level; just about all she had left to teach him was metalbending. She was dragging her feet on that one. It would mean giving up her title of the world's only metalbender. Perhaps sensing this, Aang wasn't pushing her.

Firebending, however, still gave him problems. Zuko did his best when he was here, with Iroh assisting in Zuko's absence, but Aang had negative feelings hooked to his firebending that refused to be banished and prevented him from really embracing this part of his nature. He still couldn't quite let himself inhabit it and let it flow. He always saw Katara's burned hands in his mind.

She went to the garden. She could feel the heat he was generating and the pattern of his steps. He was going through his basics to ease himself into it.

_Maybe I shouldn't interrupt him._

She had just turned to go when he called out to her. "Hey, Toph."

"Oh, uh...hi," she said, turning back around like she hadn't been leaving, no not at all, just doing a little twirl here for no reason.

He stopped firebending and came over to her. "What's up?"

Toph took a breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

_Here goes._ "What do your tattoos look like?"

She felt his surprise at her question, which must have seemed to come out of nowhere to him. He didn't know she'd been wondering about it almost as long as she'd known him.

"Oh," he said. "I guess you can't feel those, huh?"

She knew what _he_ looked like. She'd felt his face. She knew he was bald, and she knew the shape of his features. She knew that most people considered him handsome, although such distinctions were meaningless to her. She knew from context that he had an arrow on his head, and she thought he had them on his hands as well, but beyond that, nobody had ever bothered to describe them. She felt self-conscious all at once. "Never mind, it's a dumb question."

"No, it's not. We all forget that you can't see. It never occurred to me that you might wonder what my tattoos look like."

"I know there's an arrow on your head."

"Yep."

"And on your hands?"

He hesitated. "My tattoos are over my entire body, Toph."

She was momentarily taken aback. That, she'd never imagined. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he said, chuckling. "And...well, they're blue..."

"That means nothing to me."

"I guess you don't know what blue is, huh?"

"Nope."

"Well, it's the same color as the sky...which you've also never seen..." He made a frustrated sound. "This is hard. Katara and Sokka both have blue eyes."

"You don't?"

"Mine are gray."

She sighed. "Again with the words that have no meaning to me."

"Umm...here, come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. "I'll show them to you."

"Why do we need to go inside?"

"Because I need a mirror. I can't see my own forehead." They went into the downstairs bathroom. "Gimme your hand."

Toph held out her hand. Aang took her index finger and put it right between his eyebrows. "Here's the tip of the arrow."

"Wow, it's that far down? I imagined it back further."

"That's why I had to wear the headband in the Fire Nation, remember?"

"Oh, right. Makes sense."

He took her other index finger, and using both of them, traced the arrowhead. "The arrowhead flares out like this, and then it goes up and over my head and all the way down my back."

Toph let him guide her fingers along the lines over the top of his head. The arrow was much wider than she'd pictured. She'd thought it would be a single line, but it was a broad stroke. No wonder it was so prominent and attracted so much attention. She drew her hands away when she got to the back of his neck. She didn't need to trace it any further to imagine what it looked like, plus it would be weird to touch him there. And Katara was the jealous type. She did feel something unusual as her hands fell away, though. "Is this your scar?" she said, poking a rough patch on his upper back.

"Yeah," he said.

"Damn, Twinkletoes. It's huge."

"You're telling me. Katara thinks I should have the tattoo redrawn over the top of it. Right now the scar breaks the line."

"What do you think?"

"I think that I shouldn't pretend it isn't there."

Toph sighed. "You know why she might want to, though, right?"

He nodded. "I know. You want to see the rest of the tattoo, or not?"

"Sure."

He picked up her hand again and put it on the underside of his bicep. "It starts again here, and curves around over the top of my arm, and ends in another arrowhead here," he said, guiding her fingers along the line. "On both arms. Then on my back it splits in two and goes over my, uh..."

"Your ass?"

She felt him blushing. "Yeah. Down the backs of my legs and it curves around to the front here," he said, putting her finger on the side of his knee and guiding it around to the front of his shin. "Then down to another arrowhead on the top of my foot. Both legs."

Toph was amazed. She'd never pictured that he was this extensively tattooed. "Damn, Aang. That is a lot of ink."

"No more than any other Airbender."

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah. It hurt a lot. It took two weeks of daily six-hour sessions. It took another two weeks to heal. But that's the way it's done. It's a rite of passage. And it was an honor. I worked hard to earn these tattoos." He sighed. "And now I'm the only person in the world who has them."

Toph heard the sadness in his voice. She was reminded of something Katara had said a few months ago. The two of them had been watching Aang and Sokka playing some kind of game with a ball and a couple of sticks that they seemed to be inventing as they went along. "It's amazing to me that Aang can be so cheerful the day after that disastrous council meeting," Toph had remarked.

Katara had shrugged. "He chooses to be cheerful."

"But he's always that way. It's like he's a freak of nature."

Katara had gone quiet for a moment. "People think he's joyous and carefree. And he is. But underneath? He is sad, all the time."

Toph had been thrown for a loop by that. "I didn't know," she'd finally said.

"I'm the only one who knows," Katara had said. Then she'd moved on to something else and the topic was shelved.

"Hey," Toph said to him now. "You know..." She harrumphed. "You can tell me stuff, you know. I mean, if you need to."

"What stuff?"

"I don't know. Stuff that makes you sad. I'm just saying. You don't have to be Mr. Happy Fun Avatar all the time."

"Thanks, Toph," he said, quietly.

"But?"

He sighed. "But there's some stuff that...well..."

"You can only tell Katara."

"Yeah."

"Hey, it's no skin off my nose. Just putting that out there, you know?" She punched him in the arm.

"I'll consider it put out."

"And thanks for the tattoo tour."

"How long have you been wanting to ask me that?"

"Oh, awhile." She grinned. "Just refining the mental image. Say, in my head, Sokka has crazy hair that always looks a mess. How close am I?"

Aang chuckled. "Actually, Sokka's hair is usually quite neat and tidy."

"Dang it. Oh well. Can't win 'em all." She started to go, then hesitated, unable to resist. "I bet Katara thinks all that ink is pretty sexy, doesn't she?" Aang didn't answer, but she felt his pulse speed a little. "Yeah, I thought so."


	2. Conversation 2:  Sokka

Sokka hated getting recognized.

It happened all the time. He'd thought that he would enjoy the attention. He'd looked forward to being famous. And he might have enjoyed the attention, if any of it had been for him.

It had been easy to avoid it over the winter. Wear a cloak, pull the hood up. But it was blisteringly hot in Ba Sing Se these days and wearing a cloak would just look sketchy. So he grit his teeth and went about his business and tried to be pleasant.

"Hey, aren't you Water Tribe Guy?"

Sokka sighed inwardly. Water Tribe Guy. Yeah, that was about the level of it. He glanced at the guy standing next to him at the swordsmith's shop, giving him a curt nod. "Generally I go by Sokka," he said.

"Sokka, that's right, of course!" He grinned, excited to be meeting a celebrity. "You're friends with the Avatar, right?"

_Crap, here we go._ "Yes."

"Man, he kicks some ass! I wanna shake his hand, man, is he with you?"

Thankfully, the swordsmith's assistant had reappeared with Sokka's newly-sharpened boomerang wrapped in a parcel. Sokka took it and turned to go. "No, he isn't with me," he said. _I kick some ass too, you know,_ he thought but did not say as he left.

Next stop, the market. He'd promised to pick up some lavender oil for Suki. The aromatics shop was clogged with young women and girls. He suppressed a groan.

_1...2...3...4..._ He'd gotten to eight before one of them squealed. "Hey, it's the guy! Water Tribe Guy!" And just like that, he was surrounded.

"Uh...hi," he said, mustering a smile. "The name's Sokka."

"Ooh, Sokka! You're, like, best friends with the Avatar!"

"He's so dreamy, can we meet him? You could hook us up, right?"

Sokka backed up a bit. "Uh...the Avatar's kinda busy..."

"Your sister's dating him, right? Are they, like, totally in love? It seems like they are."

"Yeah, are they gonna get married? That would be soooo romantic..."

"You'd have to ask them," Sokka stammered. "Look, I just need some lavender oil..."

"Ohmigosh is that for Suki? I am totally applying to the Kyoshi Warrior school when I'm old enough."

"My brother's got the biggest crush ever on Suki. It's really kinda pathetic."

"Tell your brother that Suki's spoken for," Sokka said, a little snappishly. His temper was fraying already.

"Your sister is so completely awesome, I saw her at a waterbending demonstration and she beat like five Earthbenders at once, it ruled so much, I so totally wish I was a Waterbender!"

"Omigosh, wasn't that awesome? And after she'd won, the Avatar ran out and twirled her around and he gave her this big dramatic kiss and she got all swoony and I was_totally_ dying, seriously. I so wanna be her."

"Yes! My sister is awesome! And she is awesomely dating the Avatar, who is also awesome, as is Suki!" Sokka exclaimed. "Could I just get my lavender oil so I can get back to all their awesomeness, please?"

The girls parted, reluctantly, and let him get to the counter. The woman who took his money gave him a sympathetic look. He escaped with the oil and took the back way to the house.

Bai, the housekeeper, was arranging some flowers in the kitchen when he stormed in. "Sokka," she said, warmly. "Would you like some pork dumplings? They're fresh."

"No, I don't want any pork dumplings."

Bai frowned. "Are you feeling all right, dear?"

"I'm fine. Is my sister here?"

"No, Master Katara and Master Toph went out."

"Is anybody home?"

"Avatar Aang is in the living room, I believe."

"Good. Fine." He put down the lavender oil and went down the hall. "Aang!"

"Yeah, in here."

Sokka careened into the living room, where Aang was sitting on some cushions in front of his writing desk, alternately reading from some scrolls scattered around him and writing on the parchment on the desk. His brow was creased in concentration. "What are you doing?"

"I'm attempting to respond to the latest of the Earth King's crazy ideas without just saying 'Not in a million years, moron.' What are you doing?"

"Get up. Let's go practice."

Aang looked up at him for the first time. "What? Now? I'm kinda busy."

"You need a break. Come on. Up and at 'em."

Grumbling, Aang bended himself to his feet. "Do I have to?"

"Yes! You have to!" Sokka stalked out of the room and went to his own, where he retrieved his sword. He swung it around his shoulders a few times as he went back down the hall and out to the garden, where Aang was waiting with a sword of his own. For the past few months, Sokka had been teaching Aang some sword techniques. It was useful practice for Sokka to translate what his own master taught him and relay it to Aang. Aang had been equitable enough to the lessons, even though he had little use for sword skills. It was good exercise, at least, he'd reasoned.

But now, Aang looked a little impatient with the whole thing. "I still don't know why you think it's so important I learn this stuff," he said.

"You might need it! What if you're somewhere you can't bend?"

"You mean somewhere with no earth, fire, water or air?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Aang sighed and got up off the rock he was sitting on. "Great. So the next time I'm in outer space, I'll be ready to defend myself if I'm attacked."

"No need to be a smartass."

"Just following my Sifu's example," Aang said, smirking.

"First positions," Sokka said, holding up his sword. Aang did the same. Sokka swung and Aang parried. They went on for a few exchanges. "You're opening your left side. It's a giveaway to what you're about to do." Aang made an adjustment to his stance and swung again. One thing about Aang, Sokka had to admit, was that he was a quick study. "That's better."

They sparred in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the clash of their blades. Aang was countering him effectively and getting in a few good attacks of his own. Sokka intensified his efforts, swinging faster and harder. Aang bit his lip, concentrating. Sokka drove him back with three backhanded swipes. Aang tripped on the edge of a stone and stumbled backwards, catching himself with a cushion of air. "Spirits, Sokka. Take it easy!"

Sokka realized he was breathing hard and sweating. He'd been going at the kid pretty intensely. "Sorry. Got a little carried away."

Aang shrugged it off. He examined his blade. "You know what Zuko says?"

"Oh, I'm begging you. Thrill me with the Firelord's wisdom."

"He says you're so keen to teach me swordfighting because it's something you can do that I can't."

"Hence the _me_ teaching _you_ instead of the other way around. I mean, it's not like you can teach me bending."

"Exactly. Zuko says..."

"To hell with Zuko!" Sokka exclaimed. "What's he know, anyway?"

Aang was looking at him in that way he sometimes got that made Sokka feel like the Avatar could see right through him. "Sokka - you know you're important, right? To us? To me?"

"Sure. Whatever."

Aang sighed and lifted his blade again. "When will Cheerful Sokka be back?" he asked as they parried and thrust.

"Soon. Just gimme a few more minutes to be petulant."

"No problem."

Another few moments went by, the only sound the high-pitched scrape of metal on metal, and their footsteps and breathing.

"You know what this is really about, don't you?" Aang finally said, keeping up the pace.

"What?"

"Katara."

Their swords met between them, their faces less than a foot apart. "Everything doesn't have to be about Katara, you know."

"Not everything is. But this is."

"How you figure?" He came at Aang again with an attack he'd yet to teach him, which was pretty dangerous, but Aang defended himself easily.

"You'd like to hate me and be angry with me because of her but you can't quite justify it, so you're...how did Zuko put it? Sublimating."

"More insight from Zuko? Do you talk to him about everything? I thought I was your best friend!"

"You are. But I can't talk to you about you." Sokka was getting suspicious. Aang was smoothly countering every move he made, even moves Sokka had never used on him.

"I don't know from sublimation but maybe I do want to be angry."

"Why? What'd I do?"

Sokka dropped his sword to his side. "What'd you do? _What'd you do?_ My sister, for one!"

"Hey," Aang said, his face going dark. "You get your allowance to be bitchy once in awhile like everyone, but back off."

"Oooh, sorry, Mister Avatar. Didn't mean to offend. She's _my sister._ For years we counted on each other for everything and then you came along. How do you think it feels to sleep down the hall from her knowing that you're in there screwing her?" _Oh, shit. That was over the line._

Aang took two steps, reached out and grabbed the front of Sokka's shirt, yanking him forward. Sokka waited for glowing but it didn't come - not that Aang couldn't look plenty pissed without it. "Don't talk about Katara that way in front of me," he said. "And if anybody else had said that, you'd be just as mad."

Sokka sagged. "I know. I'm sorry."

Aang let go of him and stepped back, his anger going as quickly as it came. "What is eating you? This is more than a bitchy moment."

Sokka sat down heavily on the grass. Aang took a seat at his side. "I used to be the most important guy in her life, you know," he said, forcing the words. He'd barely admitted this to himself. "I was the first thing she thought of. I was the priority."

"You're still important to her. You know that, right?"

"I know. But..." He looked over at Aang. "You're her whole world now."

Aang shook his head. "That isn't true. And it shouldn't be. Nobody can be everything to their partner. It isn't healthy."

"You are way too well-adjusted for fourteen."

He smiled. "A hundred and fourteen. And if you think I'm well-adjusted I must be doing a good job putting up a front."

"How can I be mad that I'm not my sister's Number One Guy?" Sokka said. "How messed up is that? We're _supposed_ to find other people and make them our priority. I did it, too! Is Katara mad that Suki is the most important girl to me instead of her?"

"Not that she's mentioned, no. But she is a little critical of Suki, haven't you noticed?"

"They get along fine."

"Sure, fine. I don't think they'll ever be best buds, though. Not like us," he said, nudging Sokka's shoulder with his own.

Sokka smiled. "Best buds, huh? Still?"

"Don't be a jerkface."

"Who's a jerkface, Arrow Boy?"

Aang went quiet. "Do you hate it that she's with me?" he asked, sounding like he feared the answer.

"Seriously?" Aang nodded. "No. I mean, I think part of me would hate it no matter who it was. But because it's you, I hate it as little as I can. I trust you. I know you love her." Aang looked down and nodded. "I know you'd never hurt her, and I know you'd do anything to protect her. I just worry that - well, she'll be a target. Because of who you are."

Aang met his eyes. "You think I don't worry about that, too? It keeps me up at night."

"But hey, I mean, if the Avatar makes her a target, then that's also what makes you the best person to protect her, right?"

Aang shook his head. "You know if she heard us talking about her like she has to be protected, she'd kick both our butts."

"Oh, hell yes." Sokka looked over at him. "It's a good thing you're so - amiable."

"Amiable? Sounds like something you'd say about an old lady."

He laughed. "Yeah, it does, a little. It's true, though. You're just _nice._ Which is why I can manage to deal with you dating my sister, and being world famous while I'm just Water Tribe Guy, and of course that you've been totally lying to me about this swordfighting business."

Aang gave him a very unconvincing wide-eyed innocent look. "What do you mean?"

"You never needed me to teach you swordfighting, did you?"

Aang looked like he might protest, then he just sighed and stood up, twirling the sword expertly around his wrist before sliding it back into its scabbard. "No. The monks believed in being well-rounded. I didn't just learn Airbending. They used swordfighting as exercise, and to teach us balance. Plus some Airbenders like to use wind swords. You have to learn with a real sword first."

"Uh huh. How good are you?"

"My last testing I was a Zhi 8. That was just a few weeks before I ran away."

Sokka's jaw dropped. He said this like it was of no consequence. "Zhi _8_? There are only ten Zhi grades!"

"My footwork wasn't what it should have been."

"You were _twelve!_ I'm only a Zhi 5! You were almost a master!"

"I'm a fast learner."

Sokka got up and sheathed his own sword. "Why did you pretend? To humor me? I don't need your pity, Aang. Don't patronize me."

Aang looked alarmed at the suggestion. "No! I never meant - that isn't what it was. I wanted to practice with you."

"So you pretended to be a beginner so poor old Sokka could feel good at _something._ I get it."

"No, no, no. This is all messed up," Aang groaned, putting a hand over his eyes. "I did need to learn. I just wanted us to have something specific we could do, you know, regularly."

"What the hell did you need to learn? How to make someone look like a fool? How to fake being bad at swordfighting?"

"I needed to learn man stuff, all right?" Aang burst out. "I mean, I know that to the world I'm the Avatar and I'm supposed to be all-knowing and everything but most of the time I'm just clueless about what I'm supposed to do. I lost the only father I ever knew. I don't know how to act or how to be or how to make Katara happy, or how to stick to what I believe in when everything's so damn complicated all the time, and sometimes I don't even know what I believe in anymore." He sat down on a rock like this speech had exhausted him.

Sokka was aghast. "You're serious, aren't you? You did all this because you needed a role model for how to be a man?"

Aang looked up at him and sighed. "Well, you're the best man I know."

His chest tightened up to hear that, but he couldn't resist getting in one more shot. "And I guess Zuko was unavailable."

"Maybe you didn't hear me. You're the best man I know."

Sokka looked away, blinking a little. _Got some dust in my eye. Damn dust._ "Okay," he said, quietly. He harrumphed and squared his shoulders. "Get up. Break's over."

Aang frowned. "Huh?"

"Let's work on that totally mediocre footwork of yours, huh?"

He grinned and bounded to his feet. "Sounds good, Sifu Sokka."

Sokka pointed his sword at him for emphasis. "But don't expect me to discuss your sex life with my sister."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't do that." Aang smirked. "Zuko is good for _some_ things."


	3. Conversation 3: Suki

Despite what everybody thought, Suki had not always been a morning person. But one didn't become a Kyoshi Warrior by lying in bed half the morning, and pre-dawn calisthenics were part of her overall philosophy of discipline and training, so she had conditioned herself against her natural inclination over many years. Now, if she was still in bed when dawn broke, she felt lazy and slow. It energized her to be up as the sky lightened from starry darkness to rosy pink to blue sunshine. That didn't mean it wasn't still tempting to stay in bed, especially on chilly mornings when she was warm and comfortable and snuggled up with Sokka.

She'd missed having her Kyoshi sisters with her to greet the dawn, but these days she had company again. Aang _was_ a natural morning person, although he usually didn't get up until dawn, by which time she'd already completed her calisthenics and was on to the drills. Soon after they'd all moved into this house, she'd taken an interest in his morning exercise. He did some kind of slow-moving deep-breathing movement-based forms before he started in with the bending. After a week or so of surreptitiously observing him, she'd asked him what it was. "It's called tai chi," he'd said. "It centers you and warms you up. It's more demanding than it looks. When I lived at the Air Temple, the whole place did the morning tai chi together. The monks, the students, everyone. After that we all went off to do our own thing, but this was sort of our together time."

"It looks peaceful."

"It's a lot like Waterbending, actually. I think that's why Waterbending came so easily to me."

"Couldn't have been the appeal of your instructor, could it?" she'd teased him.

He'd blushed. "Let's just say I didn't need much encouragement to practice."

She'd watched him move through another sequence. "Will you teach me?"

He'd lit up with a bright smile. "Sure!"

Ever since, they'd met in the garden at sunrise every day and done tai chi. He was right, it was more demanding than it looked, but as advertised, it was very centering. It had also improved her balance and her breathing. So each morning after her calisthenics were over, she'd go into the house and tap on Aang and Katara's bedroom door to wake him, and he'd join her in the garden. Bai would usually bring them tea when they were done. At first it had just been good physical exercise, but she'd come to appreciate the company. They didn't talk during the forms, but often did afterwards over their tea.

"I like this," he'd said to her one day, about a week after they'd begun this routine.

"This tea? I don't know, is it new?"

"No, not the tea. This. I like getting to talk to you."

She'd smiled, touched by the sentiment. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. We've never really had a chance to do that, you know?"

That was certainly true. Suki had often felt like the outsider in this group. Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka were closer than family and she was just sort of there, a hanger-on because of Sokka. Everyone was friendly and she was always included, but she didn't yet feel like a member of the inner circle. Hearing that Aang wanted to get to know her better was flattering. So they had, and as she and Aang had strengthened their friendship, her role in the group had begun to shift. She'd become the unofficial fitness trainer and weapons specialist. She and Sokka jointly planned most of the group's more tactical missions. The day she knew she was really in, though, was the day Toph had bestowed her with a nickname. One morning at breakfast she'd come stomping in, in ill-humor as she always was in the morning. Suki had greeted her brightly. "What's so good about morning anyway, Lady Pain? All it means is that you're gonna make me do jumping jacks."

Everyone had laughed. "Lady Pain," Sokka had snorted. And just like that, she was One of Them.

Katara was a tougher nut to crack. There was still a touch of distance there, and sometimes she felt the weight of Katara's judgment on her. She was, after all, dating her brother. But at the same time, Katara had started coming to her with cautiously-broached discussions about - well, Girl Stuff. She had questions and concerns and no one to talk to about them, no mother, no older sister. She'd started with pretty neutral topics like dealing with getting hit on by strangers and gradually moved to more personal ones, mostly having to do with dealing with one's boyfriend, or Suki's favorite remedy for cramps. Sometimes Suki didn't have much wisdom to offer either, so they'd just commiserate. They'd had some pretty personal talks recently. But at other times, Katara held her at arm's length. Suki just tried to go with the flow and not push it.

But Aang was easy to talk to. He made no demands and had no expectations. He just wanted to talk. So they did, without form or intent.

It was still dark but already warm when Suki tapped on the bedroom door. It'd be a scorcher for sure. She moved off down the hall to wait for Aang in the garden. She never opened the door. He was a light sleeper and never failed to hear her quiet knock. She didn't want to risk getting an eyeful of...whatever. All of them had gotten inadvertent glimpses of each other in the altogether from time to time. It was unavoidable while traveling by sky bison. And both the couples in the house had been walked in on by various other people more than once. No reason to push one's luck, though.

She stretched her arms up over her head in the garden, turning this way and that, feeling the pull of her muscles. "Morning," came Aang's voice.

She turned and smiled. "Morning, Sifu Aang."

He grinned, shaking his head. "I've had plenty of Sifus, but never been one."

"Get used to it. I'm no expert in bending, but the others say you'll soon have no more need for any masters."

"No bender ever stops learning. At some point we just all start teaching each other." They settled into the opening stance and began the fluid movements. They didn't have to talk anymore, nor did she really need Aang's guidance after months of going through the forms. She felt her blood flow to her warming muscles as they went through the sequence, slower and then faster, her pulse speeding, then slowing as they did the final few minutes' worth of calming forms.

They bowed to each other and went to the cushions by the tea table, where Bai had already left their steaming kettle. Smelled like oolong this morning. Suki poured for both of them. Aang looked out at the rising sun. Looking at his profile, Suki was struck by a sudden curiosity. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Have you ever sensed any bending ability in me?"

Aang looked at her. "I've been wondering when you'd ask me that."

"What's the answer?"

"What do you want it to be?"

That gave her pause. "I'm not really sure."

Aang contemplated her for a moment. "No. You don't have any bending ability."

She nodded. "I didn't think so."

"In fact there are very few benders on Kyoshi Island, which is a little strange considering that it was the birthplace of an Avatar."

"And almost everyone on the island is related to Kyoshi in some way."

"Are you?" Aang asked. His interest seemed piqued by this.

"One of my ancestors was Kyoshi's uncle, so she and I would be some variety of cousin. I had to petition the Warriors to admit me. Normally only directs are permitted to train."

Aang frowned. "Directs?"

"Direct descendants. It's kind of a status thing on Kyoshi to be a direct descendant of hers."

"That's...stupid."

"Agreed. No less stupid than women not being allowed to train to as waterbenders."

He nodded. "Or keeping men and women separated at different Air Temples."

"You thought that was stupid?"

"I hadn't really formed an opinion, but a lot of the monks and nuns did, including Gyatso. I remember a lot of discussions going on before I left about that. Some Nomads thought the system was old and outdated and pointless and wanted to integrate the Air Temples. I didn't give it much thought at the time. It didn't have much to do with me. But I get it now."

"Why now?"

"Well, the arguments being made for integration were all about spiritual harmony and unifying the complimentary male and female chi forces. Everyone wanted it to sound very high-minded. But Gyatso told me that it was really about people being tired of being separated from their opposite-sex children. And couples being apart for months at a time. I just accepted it that if you were spiritually bound to someone, it didn't matter if you only saw them when you took your yearly sabbatical together. You were with your partner in spirit, right?"

"But?"

"It was easy for me to say that before I _had_ a partner. I didn't understand."

"Oh."

"I can't imagine being separated from Katara for such long periods. Heck, I hate being apart from her for one day! I don't know how any of them did it. Gyatso was married for forty-eight years before his wife died, and for all that time, he only saw her for one month out of the year. Every five years they took a six-month sabbatical, and every ten they took a year." He shook his head. "Gyatso said to me once that his only regret about his wife is that he wished he'd had more time with her."

"Did he have children?"

"Yes. He had three daughters. They were at the Eastern Air Temple. I met one of them once. They were grown and gone before I was even born, of course. But we were all his sons, and the sons of all the monks. It was..." He suddenly cut himself off and looked down. Suki wondered if he'd remembered something, but then she realized that he was just controlling his emotions. "It sneaks up on me," he murmured. "I forget they're all gone. All of it is gone. Then something reminds me and it's like it's happening again." He smiled sadly. "Sometimes I go into the spirit world just to see Yangchen. She's the only Air Nomad I can talk to."

"I envy you," Suki said. "I'd give anything to talk to Kyoshi."

Aang turned toward her, his gray eyes keen. "What made you want to fight in her name?"

"What wouldn't make me want to? She was amazing. She was strong and powerful. Don't you think so?"

"Yes, definitely."

Suki cocked her head at the hesitation in Aang's voice. "But?"

"But? But nothing." He cleared his throat and looked away.

A funny little suspicion grew in Suki's mind. "You don't like her, do you?"

"No! It isn't that! I like her fine! It's just..." He sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I find it easier to talk to Roku or Yangchen. Even Kuruk, if I can catch him. Kyoshi is just very - severe. Everything's a life or death struggle for one's honor and she makes every piece of advice sound like it ought to be carved on a stone tablet and heaved at you from a great distance with considerable force."

Suki busted out laughing. "Well, she was an Earthbender."

"Which is probably why we don't click that well, now that I think about it."

"It's okay, Aang. I don't take it personally. My hero does not have to be everyone's hero."

Aang looked up at her when she said that. "She's your hero?"

"Absolutely. So I guess you are, too. I mean...oh, damn. Not that you couldn't be on your own merits! You're heroic! But you're also Kyoshi and..." Aang was laughing at her by now. "That came out all wrong."

"It's okay. Kyoshi is who you feel a connection to. I'm not her, I just used to be."

"Who does the Avatar look up to? Who's _your_ hero, Aang?"

"That's easy. Katara."

Suki melted a little inside but didn't let him see. "Really?"

"Totally."

"Not Roku, or someone like that?"

Aang set down his tea and stretched his legs out in front of him. "People call me a hero a lot, and I've done the best I can to be worthy of that, but I get the showy advantages. Katara was a hero to me before she could do more than create a knee-high wave. She chased after a Fire Nation warship to rescue a boy she barely knew with nothing but her brother's boomerang and a sky bison she didn't know how to fly. She left everything and everyone she ever knew to look for a way to make herself stronger, and help me become stronger." He met her eyes. "I'd have been dead a half a dozen times over without her, we all would. If I'm any good at all, it's because of her. And I still can't quite believe she's..." He broke off, biting his lip. "I never really thought she'd love me back," he said, quietly. "I hoped, but deep down I thought it was a pipe dream."

Suki watched his face as he thought of Katara, and she wondered if Sokka ever looked like that when he thought of _her._ "I think I'm having deja vu," she said.

"Huh?"

"I was talking to Katara a few weeks ago, and you know what? She said almost those exact same words to me. About you."

He stared for a moment, then blushed. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "You guys need to talk more."

Aang blinked a couple of times, fast. "Suki, I gotta go."

"I know."

He leapt to his feet. "See you at breakfast!" he said, zooming off, presumably to go get back in bed with Katara and perhaps wake her up in some pleasant way.

Suki sipped her tea, smiling. _Kyoshi would be proud. Of all of us._

_

* * *

_

_Note: Aang's description of how Air Nomad couples interacted is based partially on how real Tibetan monks live. They are only celibate while in the monastery but frequently leave for extended periods and have relationships and travel. Bryke have stated that the Air Nomads were NOT celibate (as we have to infer from the fact that they, you know, had babies) but that the Temples were segregated. This is my conflation of these facts and some real-life societies._


	4. Conversation 4: Zuko

"Ow, dammit!"

"Hold still and it won't hurt so much!" Katara snapped. Zuko did his best. He felt the water snaking into his wound, Katara's chi energy flowing, and then suddenly the arrow was being pulled free and the wound was closing. "All right, you big baby."

He got to his feet, not having time to acknowledge the sarcasm. Aang and Sokka ran out of the woods, covered in soot but looking unhurt. "They retreated into an old war balloon," Sokka gasped, out of breath.

"We have to go after them," Aang said, meeting Zuko's eyes. "Catch them before they have a chance to regroup and call for help from the next cell over."

Zuko nodded. "All right, let's go now." He turned and climbed into Appa's saddle. He saw Katara start to follow him, but Aang stopped her.

"You should stay here."

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Katara, you're not as effective over distance, and we might be fighting in the air without much of a water source. You're needed here, the village is still burning and there are a lot of wounded." She didn't look convinced. Aang took her by the shoulders. "I am not doing the boyfriend thing where I try to keep you safe. Wearing the Avatar hat right now, see?" he said, pointing to the top of his head. "If it would be the best for the mission I'd have you along in a heartbeat, but I need you where you'll help the most and that's here." Zuko wondered if Katara would believe him, but the fact was that Aang gladly welcomed Katara's presence on even the most dangerous missions. She was a powerful warrior, and while Zuko was sure that Aang worried for her safety, he respected her enough to let her take care of herself. Katara knew it, too.

She held his gaze for a moment, but seemed satisfied. "All right." Her indignant expression then transitioned into intense worry now that she'd accepted that she wasn't going. "Aang..."

"I know."

"Zuko and Toph already got shot."

"They're fine."

"I won't be there to heal you!"

"Then I won't get shot." She bit her lip and nodded. "Katara, I gotta go." Their eyes met for a moment, then they grabbed each other. Zuko blinked. This wasn't like the affectionate hugs he'd seen them share countless times before. This was a restless, panicky clutch. Katara's fingertips dug hard into Aang's bare shoulders while his hands clutched fistfuls of her clothes and hair. It was a last-chance grip between lovers, and Zuko knew he was getting a small glimpse of how different they were to each other when they were alone.

Aang drew back and kissed her hard, wrapping one hand around the back of her neck. She grabbed the front of his tunic and kissed back. It was a messy, demanding kiss that never stopped moving, nothing gentle or sweet about it. Zuko knew that feeling, of having to try and cram in everything you felt for someone into one moment, so you went for closer and harder and just _more_ because there wasn't enough time. Aang broke off and looked toward where Appa waited; Katara pressed her face to his cheek, breathing hard. He nuzzled her face one last time and they locked eyes. Neither spoke, but there was a lot being said. She nodded, then he quickly pulled himself away from her and ran toward Appa, Katara's hand trailing down his arm as he left. He didn't look back, just leapt onto Appa's head and took the reins. Katara watched as they took off. Aang stared resolutely forward, his jaw set. Zuko looked back until they crested a hill and their view of the village was cut off. Only then did Aang risk a backwards glance.

He met Zuko's eyes briefly. "We're gonna be outnumbered."

"We're the Avatar and the Firelord. I think we can take them."

Aang snorted. "The last time you said that, 'them' turned out to be dragons."

"These guys aren't dragons."

"No, they're violent thugs who are using your father's name as an excuse to wreak havoc."

"If we can track them to their basecamp and destroy it, it'll be a bad blow for them."

"We need to make sure we take some into custody. If we can find out who this Son of the Comet is and find him, we could splinter the whole group."

Zuko shook his head. "Son of the Comet. Who came up with that one?"

"Yeah. Not very imaginative." He saw Aang look backwards again, a quick look of longing passing over his face.

"It was right for her to stay behind."

Aang looked at him. "I know that."

Zuko frowned. "You guys aren't having problems, are you?"

"What? No!"

"All right! You just had a funny look for a second."

"That's how I always look."

"Whatever." He waited a few moments. "Cause you know you can talk about it if you..."

"Everything's fine, Zuko!" Aang exclaimed. "And what about this situation makes you think it's a good time for a heart to heart chat?"

"Why not? We're gonna be up here for a little while. Appa will track their wake on his own. We can't catch them in that war balloon, we'll have to wait until they land somewhere."

Aang sighed, then climbed off Appa's head and joined Zuko in the saddle. "Everything's fine," he said, resolute.

"Okay," Zuko said with a shrug.

Aang rubbed the back of his head. "It's a little too fine."

"Too fine? What does that mean?"

Aang fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing his legs, looking everywhere but at Zuko. "Nothing."

"It isn't nothing. What? C'mon."

"I think I might..." Aang began, then harrumphed and looked away again.

"You might _what?_"

"There's something wrong with me," he suddenly blurted out. He groaned and let his head fall backwards.

"Wrong? Wrong how?"

"I'm a terrible person."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko was growing a little concerned. Aang really seemed tortured about whatever this was. "You're not a terrible person."

"You don't know. Nobody knows what goes on inside my head."

"Well, that's true of everybody."

"No, it's not! It's me! I'm a freak!"

"Will you for the love of Agni just tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

"I'm turning into some kind of sex maniac!" Aang exclaimed. Zuko just blinked at him for a moment. That was definitely not what he'd been expecting. Aang made a tortured choking sound and let his head drop into his hands.

"Ummm..."

"No, don't say anything. There's nothing to be said."

Zuko couldn't help but think back to all the time he'd spent in Aang and Katara's company. He tried to remember if anything had ever seemed amiss, and it hadn't. They were affectionate with each other in what he would have characterized as a normal and appropriate way. "Why would you think that?" he asked, cautiously.

"Because! It's just true! This can't be...normal!"

"_What_ can't be normal?"

"How I...how I am!"

"How are you?" This conversation was becoming ridiculous.

Aang sighed heavily. "I really like it."

"What's not normal about that? You're supposed to like it."

"No, I mean...I _really_ like it."

"So? I like it, too."

"But...I can't stop thinking about it. I think about it _all the time._ It's really distracting. I mean, Zuko...all she has to do is look at me and I'm off in my head, imagining...things. Sometimes I'll be in some important meeting and I'll realize that I've been off in some daydream, thinking about her. Or even when I'm with her! She'll be talking to me and I'm just nodding my head not hearing a word because I can't stop staring at her lips and thinking about how long until I can go to bed with her!" He looked at Zuko beseechingly. "What do I do?"

"I'm still waiting to hear the part where you're a sex maniac."

"Did you not hear anything I said? I shouldn't be thinking about her like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because...because...well, I love her!" Aang spluttered. "You know, like the forever kind."

"I know. And?"

"So shouldn't I be thinking about our deep spiritual bond and stuff? Hearts and flowers and romantic ballads? All I'm thinking about is what she looks like naked and that sound she makes when..." He cut himself off, turning scarlet. "Don't you get it? I'm a pervert!"

Zuko couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing.

Aang's face darkened. "Well, I'm glad that my freakishness is so amusing to you, Zuko."

He made himself stop, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh, man. You had me worried there for a minute."

"Huh?" Aang said, frowning.

"Aang, you are not a sex maniac. There's nothing wrong with you."

"But..."

"Everything you just said? It's normal. It's the same for me. And Sokka. And every other guy ever. You're not a pervert. You're fourteen and male."

"You mean...this is normal?" Aang said, looking doubtful.

"You're so wise about so many things, Aang. The rest of us forget that you never had a father or a brother to talk to about these things. You don't have an Uncle to set you straight."

"Normally I talk to Sokka about guy stuff. But this...yeah, I can't talk to him about this."

"I can understand that. Let me ask you this. You say you really like it. What about Katara? Does she?"

Aang colored. "She seems to. She says she does."

"And do you treat her with respect?"

"Of course!"

"You don't force yourself on her, do you?"

Aang looked horrified at the very idea. "No! I would never do that!"

"Then you don't have a problem."

"But...I..." He rubbed the back of his head. "You're saying that it isn't just me? Other guys are this...preoccupied?"

"I'm saying that _all_ guys are this preoccupied. It's just how we are. It's how our brains work. Even the Avatar's, apparently," he said, smirking. "And don't think girls don't get preoccupied, too. They just seem to be better at maintaining the ability to also think about other things."

"No. She can't be thinking about this like I am. She's...better."

"Thinking about sex doesn't make you a bad person, you know. And I bet she is. No, scratch that, I know she is. You know how many times I've seen her eyeballing your ass when you're not looking?"

Aang blinked. "Really?"

"Ever noticed the way she sometimes sits and stares into space with a little smile on her face?"

"Umm...yeah, I guess I have."

"Yeah, she's totally picturing you naked right then."

"No way."

"Way."

"How do you know?"

"I have a sexy, preoccupying girlfriend, too. One I actually _talk to_ about this stuff."

Aang was now smiling hesitantly. "So I'm not a sex maniac?"

"No. You're a normal guy."

He blew out a huge breath and sagged against Appa's saddle. "Wow. That's a relief."

"You were really worried about that, weren't you?"

"Yeah. A lot."

"It'll get easier to deal with. You two have only been at that stage for a few months, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's still new. I'm not saying it won't always be a distraction. But it'll be less intrusive after awhile."

"When?" Aang pleaded. "Sometimes I really do have to think about other things, you know! When will it get better?"

Zuko chuckled. "When I find out, I'll let you know."

They were quiet for a moment. "So," Aang finally said. "You think Katara is beautiful, huh?"

Zuko shifted. "Well...sure. She is. Empirically speaking, in a totally objective way that in no sense implies me being attracted to her."

"Uh huh."

"Don't give me that look! What, you've never thought Mai was beautiful?"

"Mai scares me too much for such thoughts to enter my head."

"Oh, I am so going to tell her that the Avatar is scared of her. She'll love that."

Aang laughed. "I bet." He looked off into the distance. "Anyway, Katara isn't just beautiful. She's the most beautiful girl who's ever lived."

"You are such a sap."

"Yeah," Aang said, grinning. He didn't sound too worried about it. "That's what Sokka says, too."

Appa lowed, a deep and rumbling sound that Aang seemed to understand. "They've stopped," he said, climbing back on to the bison's head. "I'm taking us down."

They descended to a clearing. Zuko could see the war balloon being lowered to a secluded grove about a half mile away. "They must be camping for the night. Let's go hit them hard before they even know we're here," he said.

Aang held him back. "No. Their blood's still up. Optimal time for a nighttime attack is halfway between midnight and dawn. It's when the chi flows the slowest and when the night watch guards are most likely to be drowsy and inattentive. They'll have started to relax, thinking they're in the clear. That's when we should attack."

Zuko nodded. "Makes sense. What do we do till then?"

Aang shrugged. "Make camp."

They started a small fire, making sure they were hidden from view. Zuko got some food out of the emergency rations on Appa's back. Aang sat cross-legged, fiddling with a malfunctioning spring on the side of his staff. For a good half hour, they sat in companionable silence as the night deepened around them.

"You ever wish you weren't the Avatar?" Zuko finally asked, idly curious.

Aang didn't look up from his work on his glider, which had devolved into a total disassembly. "Every day of my life," he said, quietly.

"Really?"

"Don't you ever wish you weren't Firelord?"

"Sometimes. When the bureaucrats are being aggravating and the pressure feels like it's about to pop my skull open."

"All I ever wanted was to live like Gyatso," Aang said, his eyes still on his work. "Be a master Airbender. Teach others. Live peacefully. Get really good at pai sho." Zuko smiled. "You're the Firelord. That's a big job. But at least you have help. You have ministers and generals and councillors and advisors. There is only one Avatar. No one can help me with that. Every day I fight the urge just to grab Katara and disappear into the woods somewhere. Build us a house and just live there quietly, hiding from the world."

"No kidding?"

He shrugged. "I have a lot of reasons to stay, too. I'm grateful to be able to help people. But there's just so much, you know?" Zuko nodded. He did know. "I'm only one person. You get it, I know. The kinds of decisions we have to make no one should have to make."

"Like what to do about my father and my crazy sister," Zuko said, crossing his arms.

"You know how many people want me to kill both of them?" Aang said.

"I know. Sometimes I'm one of those people."

"You know better."

"I know you won't kill."

"Not if I can help it." He was quiet for a moment. "Do you know why?"

"Because the Air Nomads believe in the sanctity of life," Zuko recited, having heard it enough times before.

"Yes, but do you know why they do? Why they place so much emphasis on respecting life?"

"Well...isn't that self-evident?"

"Is it?" Aang asked. "Plenty of other societies seem to have avoided it throughout history."

"Okay, why then?"

"Because Airbending is the deadliest of all the bending arts. It's doubly important that those of us who have the ability learn to respect life."

Zuko frowned. "How do you figure it's the deadliest?"

"All the bending arts can kill, of course. A Waterbender can drown you, an Earthbender can crush you, a Firebender can burn you. But all those things have counterattacks. You can defend yourself, block them or avoid them. Against an Airbender, though...there is no defense." He paused, and when he spoke again, Aang's voice was low and flat. "I could kill you right now and there's not a thing you could do to stop me."

Zuko felt a chill go up his back. The firelight flickered across Aang's face, throwing his eyes and cheekbones into shadows. "How?" he said.

"I could draw all the air from your lungs and prevent you from breathing. You'd suffocate right here in front of me and no one would be able to tell what had happened. It would leave no trace, and there's nothing you could do about it." He looked up at Zuko from beneath lowered lids, his hands still working on the glider, and for just a second, Zuko was afraid of him. _Don't be stupid. It's Aang._

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't do that," he said, going for levity.

Aang smirked. "Just stay on my good side, and you have nothing to worry about." He met Zuko's eyes but wasn't able to keep up the act. They both collapsed into giggles.

"You make a pretty good badass," Zuko said.

"Yeah? I've been practicing in the mirror. I figure the nice-guy goofy thing isn't going to play very well if I want to intimidate people with my big impressive Avatar powers." He shrugged. "I'm just not naturally scary."

"No, you're really not."

"How is it that you somehow make that sound like an insult?"

"Hey, not being scary is a good thing in my book. I grew up surrounded by people who took the practice of being scary to an art form."

"Point." He snapped his glider back together and tested the mechanism. It worked normally. He set it aside and stretched his legs out in front of him. "I've thought of using that technique in a fight. Not to kill, but it would be incapacitating. It would take all the fight out of an enemy immediately."

"Why haven't you?" Aang shifted uncomfortably. "You're not sure you'd be able to stop, are you?"

"Well, I've never done it before, not on a person. It would require a lot of very fine control and timing, and I wouldn't want to make a mistake. And I'd never be sure how a person's body would react. It's too dangerous."

"There are a lot of people who think you're weak for not killing my father."

"What they think isn't my problem."

"But it isn't everybody." Zuko reached into his pack and rummaged around until he found the leather band he'd brought to give to Aang. "I picked this up from a street vendor a few weeks ago. I brought it because I thought you'd get a kick out of it."

Aang took it and examined the letters etched into the leather. "WWAD. What does that mean?"

Zuko smiled. "It stands for 'What would Aang do?'"

His eyes widened. "Someone was _selling_ this?"

"Yeah. It's become a little bit of a catchphrase around the Fire Nation. Not everyone thinks you're weak. There's something of a groundswell movement going on. It's all about nonviolence and peace and respect for life. That's their motto."

Aang stared at the leather strap. He looked flummoxed. "I don't know if I can be responsible for a whole _movement._"

"You're the Avatar. Who else are people going to follow? Where else can they find inspiration? In the Firelord? I'm still a symbol of the government, a cog in a machine. They've been taught to reject their gods and the spirits. They need someone to look to as an example. Who better than you?"

"Who better? Anybody! I don't want this kind of responsibility, Zuko! I can't live my life knowing that the whole world is looking to me as some kind of...example! I can't exist on top of a pedestal like that, there's nowhere to go but down. I'm just a guy with a job to do, that is when I can even manage to concentrate on it while my girlfriend is, you know, existing and being all gorgeous and stuff. What Would Aang Do? Aang would rather not get the credit or the blame for what other people do, think, say, feel or believe, thanks." He looked up and saw the look on Zuko's face. "I'm sorry. I'm kind of unloading some stuff on you."

"It's okay. People who occupy our positions are kind of a small club. We have to stick together."

"I don't normally talk about this with anybody but Katara."

"I'm glad you can at least talk to her."

"I can tell her anything." He smiled fondly. "She gets it. And I don't have to keep up any kind of image with her. She knows me." He met Zuko's eyes. "Do you have that? With Mai?"

Zuko nodded. "Mai's always known me. Since we were kids."

"That must be amazing. To have people in your life who've known you that long." A shadow crossed Aang's face.

"Yeah. Although now, it's pretty much just her. Everybody else who's known me as long as she has is crazy or dead or might as well be." _Or missing,_ Zuko thought but did not say.

Aang picked up on it, though. "Are you having any luck?" he asked, quietly.

"Luck with what?"

"Finding your mother." Zuko said nothing. "Don't look so surprised. I know you're looking."

"I've been trying to keep it quiet, in case someone wants to try and find her first and use her against me."

"I can keep a secret." Aang cleared his throat. "You know we're all ready to help you, right?"

Zuko sat up straighter. He hadn't wanted to involve any of his friends in what might be a wild goose chase. "Yeah?"

"I've pretty much just been waiting for you to ask."

Zuko felt an absurd lump in his throat. He and Aang had been friends for a year now. Even with as much of that time as they'd been in separate nations, his sense of kinship to the Avatar had only increased. But it took more than a year to unlearn a lifetime's worth of lessons, and to be the beneficiary of friendly generosity was sometimes a shock to him. "I've never wanted to ask you for anything, Aang," he said.

"Why not?"

"Well...because of...you know."

"Because of all that trying to capture me that you did? Ancient history."

"No. It isn't. It isn't history and I haven't forgotten. I sent a mercenary to _kill_ you. What if he'd succeeded? Where would the world be now, where would I be?"

"You'd probably be dead. Katara takes it personally when I get killed."

Zuko was startled into laughter by that. "Yeah. I have personal experience with that." He sniffed. "I'm just not past the making-it-up-to-you stage enough yet to ask you for favors."

"It wouldn't be a favor. If your mother is out there, she might need help. Would it help if you thought of it as us doing it for her, not for you?"

Zuko pondered this. "Maybe. Yeah."

Aang nodded. "Okay. When this is all over we'll sit down and you can tell us what you know, and we'll make a plan."

"A plan, huh? Sounds so...efficient."

"Efficiency and results. That's what we're all about in Team Avatar," Aang teased. "Of which you are a member. Don't forget that." He fixed Zuko with a look, so he'd know the sentiment was sincerely meant.

"I won't." Zuko looked up at the sky. "Few hours until we move in. Wanna trade off taking naps?"

"Sure. You go first, you've already been shot once tonight."

"Not necessary. I feel totally fine. Katara has some magical hands."

"Man, you have _no_ idea."

"Let's not get back onto that subject, okay?"

Aang chuckled. "Fair enough." He stretched out on the grass. "Wake me in an hour."

"Will do." Zuko watched as the most powerful being on the planet immediately dropped off to sleep with his hands folded under his cheek like a little boy. A surge of protectiveness rose in him.

_I'm on Team Avatar. And we don't talk about it, but our unspoken oath is that we protect you. I've got some ground to make up there. I guess I can start by getting us both through tonight. Then we'll see._


End file.
